Dealing with Burn Out in Grad School

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around experiences of burnout in graduate school, particularly among students in STEM fields. Participants share their feelings of exhaustion, lack of motivation, and the challenges they face in maintaining their academic performance. The conversation explores coping strategies and the emotional toll of academic pressures.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express feelings of burnout and question the normalcy of their experiences in graduate school.
  • Several contributors suggest that engaging in sports or physical activities can help alleviate feelings of burnout, with specific recommendations for team sports and martial arts.
  • One participant mentions a personal injury that has limited their ability to exercise, impacting their coping mechanisms.
  • There are mixed feelings about the effectiveness of exercise as a solution, with some participants stating it works for them while others find it less effective.
  • Video games are mentioned as a stress relief method by some participants, highlighting different coping strategies.
  • Participants note that burnout seems common among students, regardless of their year in school, suggesting a shared experience across different academic stages.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that burnout is a common experience among students, but there are differing opinions on the effectiveness of various coping strategies, such as exercise and recreational activities. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approaches to manage burnout.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the long-term effects of their coping strategies and the impact of academic pressures on their mental health. There are references to specific courses and subjects that contribute to stress, but no consensus on how to effectively address these challenges.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for current and prospective graduate students, particularly those in STEM fields, who are experiencing burnout or seeking strategies to cope with academic stress.

quasi426
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Burning out...?

I am a 4th year at a university and I have been doing well in my upper divsion classes, but this quarter I just feel so burned out. I am not motivated to study for any of my classes, they seem pointless or too general. I guess I just wanted to hear from people who have been through some kind of burn out phase and still managed to go through graduate school. I guess I am asking if this is unusual. Thanks

btw: I am a double major: bioengineering/molecular biology
 
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quasi426 said:
I am a 4th year at a university and I have been doing well in my upper divsion classes, but this quarter I just feel so burned out. I am not motivated to study for any of my classes, they seem pointless or too general. I guess I just wanted to hear from people who have been through some kind of burn out phase and still managed to go through graduate school. I guess I am asking if this is unusual. Thanks

btw: I am a double major: bioengineering/molecular biology


I feel the same!

And I have been admitted in a Ph.D. program in your university!

So I hope my batteries could be recharged next year, studying what I really want and not the stupidities I have to learn nowadays.

I comprehend you :approve: .
 
I've felt burnt out. It happens when you don't get the room to do the things you want to do, you feel shoved in a corner with no ability to do anything about it. You just go through the flow and try to get through it, but all your motivation hits pot-bottom and you don't seem to get anything done anymore.

The best thing is to talk about it with people and try to get to some solution, do something for yourself that makes you feel better :smile:
 
The winning tape is right ahead of you!

I've been burned out in a similar situation and what I do is:

1. remind myself why I'm doing this; I have an over arching reason that gives me the backbone to do all this.

2. A lot of exercise, to sweat out the burn-out, so to speak.

I recommend both approaches.
 
ktpr2 said:
The winning tape is right ahead of you!

I've been burned out in a similar situation and what I do is:

1. remind myself why I'm doing this; I have an over arching reason that gives me the backbone to do all this.

2. A lot of exercise, to sweat out the burn-out, so to speak.

I recommend both approaches.

The second one does not work, at least in my case.
 
I find that team sports that involve a lot of running helps, as opposed to working out in the gym. Soccer or Ultimate frisbee should do it. What kind of exercise are you doing?
 
Definetly agree with the sports, if i wasn't doing that i'd pretty much only be doing school, find that to be a good way of keeping my mind off things.

If you're not used to sports, i'd recommend any kind of martial arts, they're great because it's one of the few sports you can start as a beginner at any age. You'll propably have a hard time finding a time to play football or something if you've never tried it before. But you can always walk green into any kind of martial arts dojo and start training with other people your age group/skill level.
 
ktpr2 said:
2. A lot of exercise, to sweat out the burn-out, so to speak.

That used to be one of my solutions, but I had some problems with my knee and had to have a scope (surgery) done on my knee in Jan. I am still somewhat recovering from it and I don't know if it will ever return to normal. I know that this injury is definitely contributing, but I've had it for over a year and I never felt this bad. Thanks for all the advise though. It all sounds really good.
 
Clausius2 said:
I feel the same!

And I have been admitted in a Ph.D. program in your university!

So I hope my batteries could be recharged next year, studying what I really want and not the stupidities I have to learn nowadays.

I comprehend you :approve: .

Congratulations! The climate here is wonderful and refreshing. The beach is a 5 min. drive away! I think you will love the location. Are you getting into the physics dept?
 
  • #10
ktpr2 said:
I find that team sports that involve a lot of running helps, as opposed to working out in the gym. Soccer or Ultimate frisbee should do it. What kind of exercise are you doing?

I do cyclism. I went yesterday for riding a bit. But tomorrow I have an exam abouy Industrial Automation, you know stuffs like PROFIBUS, CAN, CSMA, robots, MAP and those sort of things I don't know why the hell I am teached. It is burning me so much, and there is no sport which make me to avoid to study it.

quasi426 said:
Congratulations! The climate here is wonderful and refreshing. The beach is a 5 min. drive away! I think you will love the location. Are you getting into the physics dept?

I have been admitted in the Mech & Aero Engineering Dept. You could tell me how happy are you over there in order to un-burn me... :biggrin: I hope to be there in Fall 2005.
 
  • #11
Am I the only one who plays video games when I'm stressed out?
 
  • #12
Icebreaker said:
Am I the only one who plays video games when I'm stressed out?

I think the cause of my stress is the lack of women around here... :!)
 
  • #13
I'm only in second year and I already feel burnt out!

:cry:

But I agree, sports do help. During the fall/winter semesters I play on two different intramural ball hockey teams. It helps sitting in class or doing work at home to be able to look forward to some human interaction and a bit of fun that night.
 
  • #14
I think all senior students feel the same.maybe that's because they get old. :biggrin: Last year,I was about to fail some courses coz I felt the same.I could answer to most of guestions but ?I just didn't feel writing anything. :cry:



ek said:
I'm only in second year and I already feel burnt out!

:cry:

But I agree, sports do help. During the fall/winter semesters I play on two different intramural ball hockey teams. It helps sitting in class or doing work at home to be able to look forward to some human interaction and a bit of fun that night.
I think watching football matches could be useful as well provided that your favorite team play well.(you would feel even worse if they try in the last minutes but wouldn't be able to score)
 
  • #15
I feel burnout too. So do a lot of my mates. And I am only a 2nd yr! I have exams coming up over the next few weeks but I can't be bothered studying. Instead I post on forums like this or hit the gym.

I feel like I don't care about the results. I know when I get the results I will care, but at the moment, I couldn't care less. Its about time I started to get good marks, so I really need to study. Arghhhhh! :(
 

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